Freebird
by Hermonthis
Summary: AU. In a post-Millennium world, Integral Hellsing has to learn how to live while dying at the same time.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Testfic. The general structure of the story revolves around the relationships between Integral, Alucard, and Anderson. Obviously future!AU. I make no commitment to finishing this, but I won't abandon it either. Damn those plotbunnies.

* * *

**F R E E B I R D**

'Walter, I think something is terribly wrong with me.'

The aged butler looked up from the dusty volumes on the bookshelves and turned his head sideways at the little girl who appeared near the door. Her brows were furrowed and her clenched fists hung by her sides. It looked like she had the worry of the world on her shoulders and it looked as if she wanted to desperately break something.

He corrected himself. Integral did have the weight of the world on her shoulders; she had just been inducted into the Royal Protestant Order three months before.

'Miss Integra, what would possess you to say something like that?'

She opened her mouth to speak, faltered, and then looked away.

'Love? What is it?'

Her lips mouthed something silent, like a prayer, and Integral lifted her face to look up at Walter. Would he know? Would he know what to do? She was just thirteen, just a baby, and already her body was betraying her.

She was late. Her period was three months late.

'I think there's something wrong with me.'

* * *

At the physician's office Integral Hellsing sat on the edge of the patient's bed and stared absentmindedly at her wiggling toes. Walter sat on the other end of the cramped room, one leg draped over the other and his chin resting on the back of one hand as he stared out the window, apparently in thought.

Was this strange that she wanted to go to the doctor's? Why did she have to take Walter with her? Integral look down at her hands and considered the fact that maybe there was no cause for alarm. She was young and under stress, it was possibly only a mishap.

_I want to get out of here._

As Integral thought out a pattern of reasons and explanations for her body's behaviour for the past several months, Walter's eyes moved from the window and over her.

_Late_. _She was late._

What did it mean?

At that moment, the doctor came in with Integral's file in her hand. She looked at Walter and nodded briefly before turning to the young girl on the bed. Taking her place in her swivel chair, she turned around to face them both and opened the manila file. There was a look of cool reserve on her face, as if everything would go smoothly as she planned.

Integral already knew from the moment she walked in that everything would go wrong. She already knew that she both envied and hated this woman. She hated her simply for the reason that she would know something was wrong with the Hellsing heir. It was shameful, and it cut her pride deeply. How could she be strong when her body refused to obey?

The woman smiled but the warmth didn't quite reach her eyes. There was something else there that the young Hellsing wasn't sure she liked. The physician held the power, and she, just a girl, did not know what to expect.

'How are you, Integral?'

'Good.' It was best to keep this short and straightforward. She could take the news, whatever it was.

Walter watched Integral's small hands tighten in her lap.

'How old are you Integral?'

'Thirteen'

'Ah.'

The girl frowned. Ah - what? Was that a good sign or bad? Damn it, she just wanted to know the answer already.

The woman smiled again and she wheeled her chair a little closer to Integra.

'Ah. There is something you need to know, dear.'

* * *

Integral Hellsing stood on the battleground of demolished London. Her coat hung off her shoulders and her crisp white shirt was sullied with the blood of the Major, the swine. A humourless chuckle left her lips; thank god _that_ bastard was dead. She looked down at herself and frowned. Her hair was a mess, there were tears on her pants and her boots would never look the same again, not to mention the head wound and the gashes to her hips and thighs. It hurt to walk. It hurt to stand.

Still, she stood in the midst of the ruined city and watched for the first sunrise after Millennium's fall. Inhaling deeply, she looked out into the horizon and swayed just a little, wishing her knight's sword was still within her possession and felt incomplete without it. Instead, she relied on her wobbly knees to maintain her stance.

'Integral.'

Alucard emerged from the darkness behind her, his body slumped in fatigue and his eyes empty of bloodlust. He stood several paces back, not wanting to intrude on her self-imposed space. His countess stood triumphant, but he could see that she was tired. Now wasn't the time for jibes and laughs, now was the time for silence and to wait for the dawn.

Seras would join them soon, but for now, it was just the two of them.

Integral closed her eyes and imagined the sun rising. She had done it, she had served her Queen and country and now it was over. It was quiet, the fog that settled around the city was slowly receding and through the dark curtains of clouds in the sky, Hellsing could have sworn she saw a shimmer of pink on the horizon.

She started walking towards it.

'Integra!' he exclaimed when her footsteps faltered and she fell to her knees, gritting her teeth in pain. Alucard immediately moved to her side and reached for her arm when a hand pushed him away. She didn't want his aid, thank you, she could do this herself. The vampire had done more than enough for now and he should rest.

'Master, you are weak and tired.' The vampire frowned. Damn stubborn woman. He didn't fight this war only to lose her to blood loss now. 'You need medical attention.' Damn humans.

Apparently, the same invitation for rest didn't apply to her.

'I know that!' she snapped at him, turned her head in another direction and repeated her words in a softer tone. 'I know that.'

She inhaled quickly and hastily wiped the dirt on her palms onto her pants. It was useless, really, to try to maintain cleanliness with corpses, bones, and soot everywhere.

'Where is Seras?' she commanded. God, she sounded so tired right now.

'She will be here.' _She is fine. It is you who matters now._

'Where is Walter?'

'I do not know, Integral.'

Hellsing released the breath she had been holding and wondered if her butler had survived and was waiting for the exact same sunrise she was looking forward to now. She was sure he lived, in a manner of speaking; she hadn't seen his vampiric body laid out with the others.

'Alucard,' she said, her posture stiff with pain, 'watch the sunrise with me.'

'I would be glad to.'

They stood side by side, quietly watching for the world to wake.

Alucard turned his head to look at the woman next to him. He could hear her laboured breathing and the drop in her body temperature. There was something written on her face, her eyes scanned the skies for something she couldn't quite see but knew was there, and the vampire wondered what it was.

Integral frowned as she felt her knees quiver and she tightened her resolve to remain standing despite her body's protests to just lie down and sleep.

_The sun, where is the sun?_

She had waited for this moment, the coming of the new world where Hellsing was triumphant – but where was it?

Every minute that passed was torture to her. She promised herself that she would live to see the death of Millennium and the return of Alucard, but it was strangely incomplete. It felt hollow to her, the joy of winning and the solitude of living – what was she missing? What else was there for her?

'Integral,' the vampire's voice broke through her mind and she was startled with the gentleness he used, 'It is not coming, and you need to rest.'

'The sun will come,' she stated more to herself than to him, 'It always comes.'

The small dash of pink in the sky – why wasn't it spreading?

It was suddenly so very cold and Integral clutched at the lapels of her coat, drawing it closer around her shoulders. She could hold out for a little longer, just a little longer for the warmth of the morning.

'It's not coming.'

There. A sharp pain in her abdomen and Integral gasped, bending her body in half to accommodate the pain. It felt like someone punched her in the gut.

'Integral?'

There it was again. The woman bit her lip to distract herself. Specific points of her body, specifically the area below her waist, contracted and contorted with hurt. Then, a sudden release and she smelled blood in the air. Wow, of all the places and of all the times.

'Master?'

Hellsing could have laughed until she cried. Of all the things to betray her, it had to be her body. Instead, she lowered herself gently to the ground, her hands around her middle to ease the pressure on her abdomen and spoke.

'Alucard, take me to a hospital.'


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I claim no right upon Hellsing or any of its characters.

**F R E E B I R D**

_( chapter two )_

* * *

Walter was silent during the drive back to the Hellsing manor, he looked into the rearview mirror and watched Integral stare out of the window, deep in thought. The news Dr. Rose told her wasn't pleasing, but it did forewarn them of the future. All in all, it had been a productive trip and the results could have been much worse.

'We're home.'

Integral got out of the car without waiting for her butler to open the door for her.

'Are you hungry?' he asked. The sun was directly overhead.

'No,' she replied flatly, 'but I'll eat anyways.'

Integral was at her father's desk when Walter came into the office with her lunch. The young girl thanked him quietly, dismissing him, before nibbling on a sandwich and staring at the paperwork on her desk. Her thought were far away.

Several minutes later, Walter silently turned the knob of the door and peeked inside. Half of her food lay on the tray, and she had resorted to staring at the Hellsing grounds, thinking. She stood in the filtered light of the window; small specks of dust floated around her and settled onto her clothes. It seemed she had been there forever.

He closed the door without a sound. She noticed.

The following month nothing happened. Then the month after that. Then the one after _that_. Integral became more comfortable in her role as leader of Hellsing and soon she would have the organization running the way she saw fit, the place would be working under her own style of efficiency.

Walter took her to the doctor when she commanded it. They no longer went to Dr. Rose after the initial checkup; they now went to Dr. Trevalian, a family friend and one who didn't intimidate Integral with a cool smile on his face like the woman had.

'How are you doing, Sir Hellsing?' the doctor asked, sitting opposite her while Walter patiently waited on the side.

'Better, doctor,' she answered truthfully.

'Do you feel any problems yet? Have you had your period this month?'

'No. It's been four months since menarche.'

He nodded. 'I see.'

They talked about her work, about her stress level and what she could do to ease the tension in her body. The good doctor recommended a regular sleeping pattern and a change in diet, perhaps more nutrients for someone still growing. Integral agree with most of his suggestions, but refused the curfew.

'My work requires I stay up late, doctor.' Integral didn't delve into further explanation, but the physician understood her meaning. What the Hellsing organization represented was no secret to him; he had been Arthur Hellsing's physician as well.

'I still place the importance of adequate rest. We can start with the change in diet.'

'Understood,' Walter butted in, nodding towards both of them and crossing his arms across his body. 'We'll commence with the diet immediately.'

When the time was done, Integral stood up from her chair and smiled kindly at the doctor, thanking him. He smiled back, the crow's feet around his eyes crinkling a bit in happiness, and the girl shone just a little brighter.

* * *

Alucard didn't know where the next hospital was. Much, if not all of London had been destroyed through his doing and with his master in immediate pain he opened all his senses for a trace of the nearest human. What he saw would not please Integral.

'Does Britiain live?' she inquired. He shook his head, tightened his grip on her, and continued their flight through the dark city and away from the sun.

Integral closed her eyes and focused on her body. She breathed deeply, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Her fingers kneaded her stomach gently and the clinching of her insides eased somewhat.

So few. So few people remained.

The vampire couldn't sense anyone left alive, not even a child. They were all torn limbs and charred skin as he sped through the rubble and sniffed for the scent of living blood. But what he could smell was Integral. She was bleeding, internally and externally. It wasn't her battle wounds that solely bothered him, but the soiled clothing between her pant legs as well. Master shouldn't have started her menstruation now, she was losing too much blood and the nutrients lost should have been reabsorbed into her body for strength.

He turned sharply to the right, whipping Integral's head to the side and colliding with his jacket in the process, as if she were lightheaded.

'What are you thinking about, Alucard?' she asked softly, her blue eyes watching his face carefully. Whether he knew it or not, his features had returned to those of Vlad Dracul, the war lord of centuries ago. Did he intend to make the change? What had caused it? It felt as if she were being held by a stranger.

'Don't talk, Integra,' he nudged without looking down at her, 'focus your strength towards yourself.'

And so she did.

Time slowed down and her heart beat quieted down to a murmur as she remained in his arms. The pain wasn't as sharp now, but the pressure of her vampire's embrace served to remind her of her untreated injuries, but that was dulling as well. The contractions between her legs continued with less intensity, and Integral was glad that of all the people to care for her, it was Alucard.

She struggled to keep her eyes open, surveying the blurred landscape of her homeland and registering the carnage that had ruined London. The further they delved into the city, the darker it became. Black fog and gray soot coated everything from the bodies on the ground to the toppled buildings. It was surreal to imagine that a few weeks ago; this place had been alive with people just like her.

How was England to repair itself?

Where was the Queen?

Although he did not physically look down at her, Alucard's other eyes watched his master. Even now, in his safekeeping, she refused to listen and sleep. He felt the pull of her thoughts swirling like a mist, wondering about the safety of her people, the order of the Queen, and her vampire's health, all in that order.

_I told you to think about yourself,_ he reprimanded.

_You told me to focus my strength,_ she replied, feeling close to fainting. _And this is how I fight._

It was true. There was a certain peace and sorrow in her facial expression that he had not seen in months; nay, perhaps years. As if she knew what was to come and both feared and anticipated it.

'Do you see anything, Alucard?'

The vampire stretched out his tendrils a little more, inhaling the smells of the dead world around him.

'Yes, Master. I do.'

Tightening his hold, he submerged himself completely into the shadows and whisked them away from the conscious world. There in the black pit of his mind, Alucard reached out with one tendril for the remains of human life.

There were several white ribbons floating in the distance, calling for each other. The vampire's left arm dissolved into a tentacle and he flung towards the ribbons, wrapping them in his grip. Reforming the appendage back into his hand, Alucard pulled hard, dragging both Integral and himself straight to the ribbons before hauling them back up into the living world.

_What did you do just now?_

He answered her truthfully.

_Now you know what it's like inside of me._

They materialized in a parking lot. It looked like it had been bombed (it probably was, Integral thought). Cars were overturned in the ditch, the cement was cracked and parts of it had sunken into the ground.

Alucard turned around and there it was: a hospital - St. Mary's Hospital.

'My god, look at it. The whole left wing's collapsed.'

* * *

'Sir, just fill out these forms before we can admit anyone,' a woman urged him, trying to catch up to his long strides as he pushed his way through the hospital and to the main foyer. There were more dead bodies lying around here than living ones; and the remaining humans struggled wearily by dragging their corpses away to prevent an outbreak.

'Don't be stupid, woman. I don't have time for this,' he bellowed. There was no crowd here, and she expected him to fill paperwork? He glared at her and the woman quailed under his red eyes, almost dropping the pen in her hand.

'A name – just a name then.'

He indicated towards the woman he was carrying, she had been silent during this exchange and now spoke.

'I'm Sir Integral Hellsing, under orders of Her Majesty. The war is over.'

* * *

'Sir – you, uh – you wait here.' The nurse stuttered before returning to the gurney and instructing her fellow colleagues on the woman's condition. She was in better condition than the other people they had seen, but the man who brought her in insisted that she be taken care of immediately. Or else.

It was a good thing too. The woman couldn't even stand up anymore and her blood pressure was dangerously low.

The strange man frightened her, his eyes were so wild and she was almost tempted to throw him out of the building after he yelled at one of the nurses. However, he had come with good intentions (_Save her,_ he commanded the staff) and for that, she was grateful.

_Alucard,_ Integral called out to him. She didn't want to be left alone.

_I shall wait for you, Master, _he answered her. _I'll be near_.

And Integral Hellsing was whisked away.

Through the window, Alucard saw the shimmer of pink in the sky. The sun – it had finally come. The vampire narrowed his eyes and put a hand across his brow, shielding him from the growing light. Curly hair brushed against the back of his gloves. Strange, it was supposed to be straight. Touching his face, Alucard was surprised to feel the beard around his chin.

_I'm Vlad Dracul again_.

The Undead King had survived another war. Dracula had finally won.

Alucard lowered his arms down to his sides. He was watching the sun rise. He hated the light, and yet, here he was, watching the world wake up from a deep coma.

And at that moment, a nurse adjusted the oxygen mark on Integral's face, making sure it was secure. Elsie, a nurse who had seen Alucard burst through the doors with his master in his arms, watched the young woman close her eyes before falling asleep.


End file.
